Thursday, April 25, 2013

Changes to CCNA exam 2013

What changes are Cisco making to the CCNA?

Cisco has made some changes to Associate-level certifications and also renamed the CCNA certification to CCNA Routing and Switching certification. 
The CCNA certification has changed from a foundation certification to a concentration certification.

How is the CCNA Routing and Switching different from the current CCNA?


CCNA Routing and Switching is the same certification as the CCNA, however the syllabuses for ICND1, ICND2 and CCNA Composite have been changed to keep up with technology advancements and job roles.

Are the CCNA Routing and Switching exams changing?


Yes, the exams are changing due to the new syllabuses. The current CCNA/CCENT/ICND2 exams will be retired on September 30, 2013.

How are the new exams harder than the current versions?


Yes, Cisco has taken topics from the ICND2 and included them in the ICND1 exam, such as OSPF, NAT, IPv6 and VLSM subnetting, making the CCENT certification a much tougher assignment.
The new ICND2 exam will include some topics from the CCNP such as multi-area OSPF, OSPF3, Sysylog, Netflow and EtherChannel. This really makes the CCNA Routing and Switching certificate a hard-to-get cert.

Can I mix and match the current exams with newer exams to achieve CCNA Routing and Switching?


Yes, you can mix current ICND1 exam with newer ICND2 exam or vice versa. However, note that several topics have been added to the new ICND1 and ICND2 syllabus. So if you take the new versions of these exams then you need to be prepared to answer questions on the new topics.

What has changed between the current ICND1, ICND2, and CCNA Composite exams and the newer versions of these exams?


To ensure the certifications are up-to-date with current technology, some older topics have been removed from the syllabus and several new topics have been added.
If you take the new versions of these exams then you need to be prepared to answer questions on the new topics.

What new topics are in the new CCNA Routing and Switching exam?


More emphasis on IPv6
High availability via FHRP
Multi-area OSPF and OSPF3
SNMP v1 and V2, SYSLOG and Netflow
NTP (Network Time Protocol)
Be able to troubleshooting everything!
Have I wasted my time learning the current CCNA?
No, the fundamentals of networking do not change, the new exams include some new topics and some have been removed, but the bulk of the syllabus will remain unchanged.

I bought a training package from your company recently, is it up-to-date?


Yes. So as long as you take your exams by 30 September 2013 and pass you will be CCNA certified. Your goal should be to pass by 30 September 2013, which gives you 6 months. We will update our training materials for the new syllabus in due course should you need to sit the new exam.

Should I stop my studies and wait to study the new version?


We advise you to continue studying and aim to take the exam before 30 September 2013. If you wait for the new version you will only delay your career. You'll probably have to start studying from the beginning again, and the new exam will be tougher than the current version.

Is the ICND2 exam required to achieve the CCNA Wireless, CCNA Voice, or CCNA Security certifications?


No. From March 26, 2013, you will only need to pass the ICND2 exam to achieve the CCNA Routing and Switching. You will only need to have a valid CCENT as a prerequisite for CCNA Wireless, CCNA Voice, or CCNA Security certifications.

Is the ICND2 exam required to achieve the CCDA certification?


No. From October 1, 2013, you will only need to have a valid CCENT, or CCNA Routing and Switching or any CCIE certification as a prerequisite.

My CCNA expires within 12 months, what should I do?


We strongly recommend you to recertify before the end of September 2013 before the current exams are retired, otherwise you will need to learn the new syllabus and take the new CCNA Routing and Switching exam.

What are the recertification requirements for the new CCNA Routing and Switching?


The CCNA Routing and Switching certification is valid for three years, then you will need to recertify just like the current CCNA.

No comments:

Post a Comment